Panic Switch
by ar-poe
Summary: Established Morgan/Reid relationship. A case is especially hard for Morgan and Reid is scared of him. Crap summary, I know. Sorry, guys.


**A/N: **Another oneshot for my lovely beta, ohteenagers!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Criminal Minds_.

**Panic Switch**

The case had gone wrong in more ways than one, and the damage it had done to the team hadn't gone unnoticed.

Derek sat stiffly in one of the jet's seats near the isle, watching Spencer as he slept curled up on the couch. Derek stared, his eyes flickering over every inch of Spencer's body at how innocent he looked when he slept. Spencer's tie was askew and lopsided, the top button of his dress shirt unbuttoned. Spencer's curly brown hair hung in his face as he buried his head in the cushions, and every so often, his thin eyebrows would draw together. Derek often thought that Spencer's brain probably never shut off. He was probably dreaming of formulas and equations in his sleep. Either that or he was having a nightmare.

Derek frowned and tilted his head in thought as he examined his lover, his best friend. He had really been an ass, and he knew it, but he didn't know what he could do or say... Derek sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the frown setting into his features.

_The team had cautiously but quickly entered the old warehouse, guns drawn and ready, sliding along the walls to where the children were being held. On the whispered count of three, Derek passed Hotch and kicked the door down, entering the final room and following routine. _

_As soon as the entire team entered the dark and damp room and noticed Derek with his gun lowered, shoulders slouched, they stopped too and took in their surroundings. All nine young boys were stripped of their clothing and lying in their own blood, and the UNSUB was slouched in a metal chair with his throat slit._

_Derek just stood in the middle of the room, looking from young boy to young boy, and undoubtedly seeing himself in every single one of their faces. After quite some time, Spencer made his way to Derek's side completely unnoticed and softly took his hand, leading him out of the warehouse and to the SUV._

_Once at the airport, Spencer stayed behind with Derek as everyone else boarded the plane. Before stepping onto the plane's staircase, Spencer suddenly turned and stood in front of Derek, looking at him with those large but sad eyes._

"_Derek..."_

_Derek tried to keep the angry and annoyed look out of his eyes, but glared none the less. "What?" He snapped._

_Spencer closed his mouth and looked like Derek had just slapped him. "I just... I know that this case was hard. Very hard... But I'm here for you, I'm always here for you..."_

_Something inside of Derek just snapped. Nothing Spencer said should have made Derek feel this way, and to be honest, he had no idea why he felt this way. Derek punched the side of the plane next to Spencer's head and growled, "You don't know anything, Reid."_

_Spencer jumped slightly and bit his bottom lip, hurt by Derek's tone and the use of his last name. He looked past Derek's shoulder for a second before nodding, almost as if to himself. He dug his hands deep into his pockets and looked down to his feet, chewing at his lip now as he thought. He looked back up and into Derek's eyes for a split second, "I love you." He offered gently and quietly right before he looked away again and made his way up the stairs and onto the jet._

Derek opened his eyes again as he felt the jet lower, the familiar feeling of being home. He looked around the jet as he heard the crackling of the intercom right before their pilot spoke to announce the landing, and grabbed his bag from the overhead.

Derek had never acted this way towards Spencer, especially after a difficult case. He knew things affected Spencer as much as anyone else, if not more, and he could honestly say that he loved the kid more than anything, more that _anyone_ in the world. He'd do anything he could to make Spencer feel safe.

Once back at Quantico, everyone made their way to their cars after Hotch had ordered them a few days off, and Derek stifled a sigh as he noticed Spencer walking down the sidewalk next to the office building. Derek got into their car and caught up with the young man, rolling down the window as he slowed to a stop against the curb.

"Where ya goin', Pretty Boy?"

Spencer stopped and removed a hand from his pocket, biting his lip as he looked over the car and down the deserted street. He gently gestured toward the direction he was walking. "I was going home."

Derek closed his eyes for a second and readjusted his hand on the steering wheel. "Come on, babe. Get in the car."

Spencer thought about it for a second and looked back down the street towards their townhouse, and finally looked back to Derek before getting in the car. He slid into the passenger seat without a word and without a glance, and placed his bag in his lap, looking out the window, and wrapping his arms around his waist as Derek drove. The classic signs that Dr. Spencer Reid was uncomfortable.

0-0-0

Derek padded his way out into the living room where a small light emanated, casting a small shadows in the bedroom where Derek was lying alone. It was late, too late for anyone to be up and wide awake after a five day investigation that offered nothing but terrible coffee and no sleep.

Derek stopped in the opening of the living room when he saw Spencer asleep on the couch, his arms wrapped lightly over an opened book, the dark skin under his eyes seemingly growing darker with each passing second.

Derek sighed and dropped his arms, quietly walking over to the couch. He knelt down in front of Spencer and gently pulled the book from under his arms and closed it, placing it on the coffee table. Derek placed a hand on Spencer's leg and lightly shook, watching his face intently. Spencer's eyes fluttered open and he stifled a yawn as he looked around at what woke him, before his eyes landed on Derek.

"Hey." Derek greeted softly, putting a small smile on his face as he watched Spencer become aware of his surroundings. Spencer was always so adorable when he was first waking and half asleep.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch, Spence."

Spencer blinked a few times and watched Derek. He sat up and looked toward the entertainment center, looking for the blue numbers that indicated the time.

"I'm sorry, Spencer." Derek added, his eyes never leaving Spencer's face, watching every movement intently, not wanting to miss a thing.

Spencer looked back to Derek, his eyes narrowing as his brain began realizing and replaying the events of the past few hours.

"I didn't mean to snap at you this afternoon. I just... Everything everyone was saying just reminded me of things that Buford used to say, and --"

Spencer cut him off and locked his jaw, lowering his mismatched socked feet to the ground. "I'm scared of you when you act like that." Spencer said simply. He didn't look upset or angry, or scared. In fact, Derek couldn't find much of a trace of _anything_ on Spencer's face except for pure exhaustion.

Derek's head slightly snapped back and his brow furrowed in confusion. He shook his head once and looked back up to Spencer from his place on the floor, mouth slightly open. "What? I --"

That look right there was enough for Spencer, that sadness on Derek's face, he never wanted to see it again. "I know." Spencer whispered as he stood. He held his hand out, waiting for Derek to take it, and led him to their bed, only to find that Clooney had, in his loneliness, warmed up Spencer's empty side.

As Spencer laid in between Clooney and Derek, Derek wrapped his arm around Spencer's waist, resting his hand on Spencer's chest as he always did, counting his rhythmic heartbeat. "I'm sorry." He whispered in Spencer's hair.

Spencer lifted Derek's hand and kissed his palm, and continued to hold it as he tiredly closed his eyes and made himself comfortable in Derek's safe arms.


End file.
